The Playhouse

The Playhouse at Val-Kill.

Quick Facts

Location:

Hyde Park, NY

Significance:

Home of Eleanor Roosevelt

Designation:

National Historic Site

Playhouses, as they were generally known, were a typical feature of country house life in America. The playhouse reflects the enthusiasm for sport in America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.The Playhouse at Val-Kill was originally constructed in 1928 as a three-car garage and tool shed, smaller in size than it appears today. In 1936, the building was expanded to relocate the forge for manufacturing Val-Kill Industries pewter wares from the adjacent factory building (known today Mrs. Roosevelt’s cottage, or Val-Kill Cottage).

When Val-Kill Industries closed in 1937, Eleanor Roosevelt leased the forge to former Industries employee Arnold Berge, who continued manufacturing pewter until raw materials became too difficult to obtain with the U.S. involvement in World War II.

By 1941, the building was used and known as the Playhouse, as observed by a local news article noting a meeting of the Women’s Democratic Club at Hyde Park hosted at the “new play room” at Val-Kill. At other times, the Roosevelts used the playhouse for square dancing and other social events. In addition, a portion of the building was used by Elliott Roosevelt as a business office for the farm, and later was made into a small apartment for visiting family or guests.